I used to think I was busy. And then I got a job. Or I got married. Or had a child. Or had multiple children. Or I had to move. Or take care of a family member. Or travel.
When I start thinking like that, habits and routine seem to slip. Time pours through my fingers like sand. My life begins to spin out of control. The urgent rears its ugly head. The important seems to grow silent.
And I know that I need that “quiet” time – daily communion with God – that food and drink for my soul. I KNOW that I need it. My heart needs it, my soul needs it, my attitude needs it.
Here’s why.
Daily Time with God Helps Reset my Focus
Reading God’s word, praying to Him, and giving my time to Him helps reorganize my priorities. The devil works, sometimes loudly but more often sneakily. He steals my time, my patience, my attention. My focus slips and suddenly I realize that my actions and my heart are no longer aligned with Christ’s. I need that daily reminder to focus on Him.
Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. ~ Colossians 3:1-3
Daily time with God Convicts Me of My Sin
For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. 13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account. ~ Hebrews 4:12-13
Reading God’s word isn’t like reading other books. This isn’t a fairy tale or a romance. It’s not a passive book. In fact, the Spirit of God works and shows us things we may not always like to see – and yet, those are most often what we need to see the most. Daily spending time in His word and praying help me recognize, remember, and confess my sin. And then, it helps me replace that sin with something better.
Daily Time with God Anchors my Heart and My Hope
God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be greatly encouraged. 19 We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. ~ Hebrews 6:18-19
My heart is not always reliable. It doubts, it whispers, it is susceptible to fear and worry, stress and anxiety. It needs reassurance and not just some fluffy bubble bath or pedicure or sweet friend. We all need the assurance that comes only from God Himself. What He says can be trusted and relied on. He never lies. He is always faithful. He is always true.
Only God Himself can grant perfect peace. Only God Himself can grant sweet sleep. Only God Himself can fill the hole in my heart. And I need Him. Today and every day. You do, too.
Wattsup With Kids 